The '''Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation''' isa[[forbiddentechnique]] where, using a living person as a vessel, adeceasedperson'ssoulcanbecalledback to theworldofthelivingandboundtoit.Thevesselwillthentakeontheformthatpersonhadinlife,therebyreincarnatingthemtodotheirsummoner'sbidding.

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The '''Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation''' bindsthesoulof a deceased person to a living vessel, restoringthemastheywerewhentheywere alive in order to dotheirsummoner'sbidding.Itwasoriginallycreatedby[[TobiramaSenju]],afterwhichhedeclaredita[[kinjutsu]].[[Orochimaru]]rediscoversthetechniquedecadeslater,and[[KabutoYakushi]]subsequentlyperfectsit.

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== Overview ==

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Created by [[Tobirama Senju]], this technique was intended for the dead to be reincarnated into soldiers able to clear a battlefield with devastating and under any other circumstance suicidal attacks.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 561, page 2</ref> Some time after its creation, however, Tobirama labelled it a kinjutsu and sealed it away. The [[Sannin]] [[Orochimaru]] would later acquire the knowledge of how to use this technique to achieve his own objectives.<ref name="Fivetwenty">''Naruto'' chapter 520</ref> Orochimaru's aide [[Kabuto Yakushi]] claims this technique to be the greatest technique in the shinobi universe due to it posing no risk at all to the user, and by his own admission, has improved it to an even greater degree than its previous use.<ref name="Fivetwenty"/><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 521, page 13</ref> This was affirmed by [[Chiyo]] — who had lived through the era of its initial use — to comment that its usage had become even more refined to be able to control such a large number of souls at one time.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 521, page 5</ref> Later, even Tobirama himself admitted to this, noting that the technique's new nature was essentially perfected and able to restore an individual to practically their full power.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 620, page 10</ref>

To perform this technique, the user must first acquire some of the [[Wikipedia:DNA|DNA]] of the person they intend to reincarnate. Kabuto remarks that this basically amounts to grave-robbing, although blood stains or organs salvaged after the target's death also work.<ref>''Naruto''chapter 520, page 11-13</ref> The soul of the intended reincarnated must also reside in the {{translation|[[Wikipedia:Pure land|pure world]]|浄土|jōdo}}; forexample,thosewhosesoulshave been consumed by the [[Dead Demon Consuming Seal|Death God]] cannot be reincarnated.<ref>''Naruto''chapter 520, page12</ref> However,ifit is acasewhere the soulsarefreedfrominside the Shinigami, then a user of this technique is free to reincarnate them once again.<ref name="chpt618">''Naruto''chapter 618, pages 13-17</ref>

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Before this technique can be performed, the user must first acquire some of the [[Wikipedia:DNA|DNA]] of the person they intend to reincarnate. Kabuto remarks that this basically amounts to grave-robbing, although blood stains or organs salvaged after the target's death also work.<ref name="Fivetwenty"/> The soul of the intended reincarnated must also reside in the [[Pure Land]]; soulstrappedinthestomachof the [[Shinigami]], for example, cannot be reincarnated so long as they reside there.<ref name="chpt618">Chapter618, pages13-17</ref> Alivingsacrifice is alsorequiredfor the reincarnatedsoultouseas a vessel.<ref name="Fivetwenty">Chapter520</ref>

[[File:Fu sacrifice.png|thumb|Torune being reincarnated with Fū as the sacrifice.]]

[[File:Fu sacrifice.png|thumb|Torune being reincarnated with Fū as the sacrifice.]]

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Next,alivingsacrificeisrequiredfor the soul of the reincarnated to useas a vessel.<ref name="Fivetwenty"/> Once all prerequisites for the technique have been met, the acquired DNA of the person is smeared on a special scroll and once the scroll is activated, the remains spread out in the form of a special seal with the living sacrifice in the centre. Then dust and ash encase the sacrifice's body, giving them the same appearance that the reincarnated had at the time of their death.The process is apparently somewhat painful as seen when Fū was used to reincarnate Torune. The person is then reincarnated and the end product is usually stored in a casket until summoned by the user. The user can theoretically reincarnate a limitless number of people in this way, so long as they have enough sacrifices, chakra and DNA to perform the technique.<ref name="Fivetwenty"/> Despitethis, this technique also has limitations, such as the individual having limitations that inhibited them in life such as Nagato's lackofmobilityanddependingon the summoner's mastery of the technique,the reincarnated individualsmightnotbebroughtbackwiththefullpowertheyhadin life.However, reincarnatinganindividualwithfullpowerprovidesapotentialrisktotheuser as the reincarnated canresistthe restraining properties before they can have a talisman implanted into their brains. Although, this has only [[Hashirama Senju|happened]] [[Tobirama Senju|twice]].<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 620, page 10</ref>

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ToactuallyperformtheImpureWorldReincarnation, the DNA of the person to bereincarnated is smeared on a special scroll.Once the scroll is activated, the remains spread out in the form of a special seal with the living sacrifice in the centre. Then dust and ash encase the sacrifice's body, giving them the same appearance that the reincarnated had at the time of their death;the process is apparently painful for the sacrifice.<ref name="Fivetwenty"/> Thesacrifice's chakrasignatureiscompletelyoverriddenwith the chakra of the onebeing reincarnated.Althoughthesacrificeisstilltechnicallyalivesolongasthetechniqueisactive, theirbodywillneveragainbetheirsandthebodywilldiewhen the reincarnated soulisreleased.

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It is possible for a reincarnated shinobi to be [[Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique|revived]] into a real living body again. Madara, however, was resurrected without his original eyes, having died without them.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 637, page 1</ref>

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== Usage ==

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=== Summoning ===

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[[File:Edo Tensei 2.png|thumb|left|Deidara being "activated" after being reincarnated.]]

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When first summoned, the body of the reincarnated is stored in a coffin; their body will appear grey and in a state of minor "decay": marred by cracks and other imperfections, and the individual will also appear to be "disengaged". Upon being inserted a talisman, their bodies become "rejuvenated", regaining their original complexion and their eyes lose their glassy state; however, their sclerae take on a grey colouring, however this has no affect on the ability of the reincarnated and they can be left in this "decay" state if the summoner chooses to give them free reign. They retain their personality, memories, and all abilities they had in life, including [[kekkei genkai]], [[kekkei tōta]] and [[Summoning Technique|summoning contracts]], though in [[Minato Namikaze|one case]], the reincarnated used an [[Nine-Tails Chakra Mode|ability]] he gained posthumously.<ref name="chapter 631">''Naruto'' chapter 631, page 6</ref> When the reincarnated is conscious and their personality is suppressed, their sclerae becomes black and gain white irides.<ref name="chapter 521">''Naruto'' chapter 521</ref>

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Although clothingis also retained by the reincarnatedshinobi, weaponryonthe other hand is not and must be procured by the user when necessary, as seen when two members of the [[SevenNinja Swordsmen of the Mist]] were unabletoretrievetheirweaponsfromascrolluponreincarnation,astheywerecurrentlyinthepossession ofothers.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 523, page 6</ref> However,onceobtained,shinobi that have storedtheirweaponsinorabouttheirpersonarestillableto re-summon their tools, regardless of the numberoftimestheyarestoredwithintheir respective coffin.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 527, pages 1-3</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 546, page 3</ref> As a downside, the reincarnatedseemtoretain any permanent body damage and physical limitations they received during theirlifetime.The summoned can berecalled at willbytheuser,causing an empty coffin to emerge and reclaim the individual, andthe summoner can also use reincarnated individuals to remotely summon coffins containing additional reinforcements.<ref name="chapter 522">''Naruto''chapter522</ref>Inthe anime the summonerwassomehowabletosummonan[[Fukai|individual]]agreatdistance away without using one of the reincarnatedasaproxy,butbysimplyplacingapieceonthe grid.<ref>''Naruto:Shippūden''episode 318</ref>

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Although Tobiramawas the technique'screator, hisusagehad two flaws: the reincarnatedsouls were notaspowerfulastheywerewhilealiveandhecouldonlycontrolsomanyatatime.<ref name="chapter 521"/> Orochimaruisstatedto have mitigatedbothflawssomewhat,butitisKabutowhoentirelyeliminatesthem, perfecting the ImpureWorldReincarnationtosuchadegreethat the reincarnationsarepracticallyas they were during lifeandhe can control asmany at atimeashewishes to, resourcespermitting.<ref name="Fivetwenty"/> Hisimprovements,combinedwith the factthatperformingtheImpureWorldReincarnationrequiresnochakrafrom the user,causesKabutotodeclareitthemostpowerfuljutsuinhistory.<ref name="chapter521"/>

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Alongwiththis,thesummonedindividualcanfeeltheperson'schakraflowingthroughthem.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter530, page14</ref>Shinobiwith[[SensorType|sensory]]abilityarealsoabletogoonestepfurtherand decipher the actual source of the chakrathatismanipulatingthem,evenifthesummoneriswithintheconfinesof a [[BarrierNinjutsu|barrier]]. This poses a potential disadvantage to the summoner, as a renegadesummonthatis no longer under their direct control may be able to locate them.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 577, page 16</ref>

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Reincarnationscanbemobilisedlikestandardinfantry,wheretheymusttraveltotheirdestination. Alternatively, coffinsthatcontainthemcanbesummonedtoalocation,assumingsomeoneistheretoperform the summoning; the animedoesnotconsistentlyrequirethis.<ref>''Naruto:Shippūden''episode318</ref>Reincarnationscanberecalledin a similarway, with a coffinemergingaroundthem to take them back.

=== Control ===

=== Control ===

[[File:Edo Tensei Tag.png|thumb|The talisman used to control the reincarnated.]]

[[File:Edo Tensei Tag.png|thumb|The talisman used to control the reincarnated.]]

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Aftertheindividualhasbeensummonedandawakened, the summonerhasno control over the reincarnated individualswith the exceptionofrestraining their movements until they implant a specialtalisman, which is attached to theendof a kunaiandimplantedinthebrain.

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Theonlydiscretionauserneedstoexercise for the ImpureWorldReincarnation is how much control to exert over the reincarnated soul.After first performing it the useris only able torestrict their movements.In general, this limited control is not an issue for the summoner, and they will typically "deactivate" the reincarnation, placing them in a coffinfor storage and transportation until they're needed. However, when the perfected Impure World Reincarnation is used to revive somebody,therecomes a possibilitythattheywillbestrong enough to resist this control; Orochimaru notes [[Hashirama Senju]] could break free if he chose to.<ref>Chapter 620, page 11</ref>

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Differenttalismanscan be used to enact different degrees of control. Orochimaru's talismans completely eliminated the personalities of the summoned, turning them into mindless killing machines under his command. Kabuto prefers to use a weaker controlling talisman on certain individuals, allowing them to retain some degree of their own personality. The latter method is useful for psychological warfare,<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 516, page 5</ref> and can also allow the summonedindividualto tap into their own emotions, memories, or creativity to enhance their effectiveness in combat,<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 513, pages 2 and 17</ref> but also carries a hostofdrawbacks;ittakes more effort to retain control with the weaker binding which can make it possible for the hearts of the summoned to be swayed by strong emotions, which can result in the soul breaking free and returning to the Pure World,<ref name="chapter 522"/> or the reincarnated contradicting orders that they are given.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 532,pages10-11</ref>Reincarnated shinobi with their personalities still intact have their movements limited to certain actions, and are basically on "auto-pilot" to react to enemy techniques.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 547, page 10</ref> Once they recognise an enemy technique their bodies are programmed to counter it with an appropriate method.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 548, page 14</ref> The control exerted over the reincarnated is crucial. This was witnessed when Hashirama and Tobirama Senju were reincarnated for a second time — this time Orochimaru's perfection of the technique brought back the two near their full power during their lifetime. Tobiramanoted that this was to Orochimaru's detrimentasatechnique he had invented could not contain him. It took the useof Orochimaru's recently acquired Senju cells to strengthen the binding.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 620, pages 9-11</ref> It was also noted in Hashirama's case that he was actually able to passively resist Orochimaru's commands and was moving of his own volition.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 620, page 11</ref>

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Inorderto actually be able to control their actions, the usermustimplant a specialtalisman-generallyattached to the end of akunai - within the reincarnation's brain. Thetalisman's designdetermineshowstrong the controlis:

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*At its most basic, the reincarnated soul retains their personality, giving them the freedom to approach a given task however they like so long as it broadly carries out the summoner's bidding. On the one hand, this makes them more useful in combat because they know how best to use their own abilities<ref>Chapter 513, pages 2 and 17</ref> and, if deployed against somebody they knew when they were alive, there is a possibility for psychological warfare.<ref>Chapter 516, page 5</ref> On the other hand, although they are compelled to do as their summoner wishes and act without reluctance,<ref>Chapter 548, page 14</ref> they can undermine their summoner to a degree, either by making poor decisions that opponents can take advantage of or by giving opponents advice about how to defeat them.<ref>Chapter 557</ref> Despite its risks, Kabuto prefers this level of control.

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*At its strongest level, the reincarnated soul's personality is entirely eliminated. The summoner instead controls all of their actions, even permitting them to speak through the reincarnation<ref>Chapter 560, page 2</ref> or summon other reincarnated souls to their location. Although this guarantees the reincarnated soul will only ever act as desired, they are less resourceful and it requires the summoner's attention for every action that must be taken, making it difficult for them to multi-task depending on the circumstances. Orochimaru prefers this level of control. Kabuto has at times rewritten talismans remotely in order switch to this level of control when the situation calls for it.<ref name="chapter 522">Chapter 522</ref>

Kabuto and Orochimaru are able to strengthen the bindings they use through external means:Kabuto siphons chakra from the [[Orochimaru's Juinjutsu|cursedseal]][[AnkoMitarashi]]is branded with;<ref name="chapter 522"/> Orochimaru uses [[Senju]][[White Zetsu Army|cells]].<ref>Chapter 620, pages 9-11</ref> Relatedly, any level of control creates a traceable chakra signature between the reincarnated soul and their summoner, allowing reincarnated [[sensor]]s to trace the summoner's location.<ref>Chapter 577, page 16</ref>

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Even so, Kabuto Yakushi displayed the ability to completely remove their personalities if he needed, and may elect to if they resist his command too strongly. After gaining more experience with the technique, and absorbing Orochimaru's chakra from [[Anko Mitarashi]], Kabuto exerts greater control over the summoned and can even overwrite his own talismans remotely, greatly increasing the power of the binding.<ref name="chapter 522"/> Once deployed, he can either remotely control or track the summoned individuals using pebbles he manipulates on a simple grid, which acts as a map of sorts.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 521, page 17</ref> When a reincarnated person is sealed, the pebble turns to dust. This was seen when Haku and Zabuza were immobilised by Kakashi, Maki, and the rest of their division. The pebble for his [[Madara Uchiha|trump card]] was black in colour while the others are light-coloured.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 575, page 14</ref> The summoner can also directly talk through the summoned individual.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 560, page 2</ref>

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Providedthesummoner has not eliminated the reincarnated person's personality, by doing certain hand seals they can break the link binding him or her to the Impure World Reincarnation contract. In doing so, they take full control of their being and if the technique is cancelled and contract is now their own, they will remain under their own power, with the immortal body and unlimited chakra the technique provides.<ref name="chpt591">''Naruto'' chapter 591, pages 16-17</ref>

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==Attributes ==

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[[File:Edo Tensei 2.png|thumb|left|Deidara being rejuvenated.]]

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When first summoned, the body will appear grey and in a state of minor decay: marred by cracks and other imperfections. If the summoner chooses to, they can rejuvenate the reincarnation while planting their control talisman, restoring their complexion and reducing some of the imperfections; this is merely aesthetic and the signs of decay do not inhibit their abilities. An unavoidable characteristic of a reincarnated body is the darkened sclerae, with a soul that retains its personality having grey sclerae and a soul with a suppressed personality having black sclerae.<ref name="chapter 521">Chapter 521</ref>

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A reincarnated individual will have all the abilities they had during their life, including [[kekkei genkai]] and [[kekkei tōta]]. They are psychically restored as they were at the time of their death, including any physical handicaps they may have possessed, such as [[Nagato]]'s damaged legs. Exceptions exist: illnesses they had will not be preserved, nor will any physical damage that contributed to their death. There is some inconsistency of whether or not foreign body matter will be restored as well: [[Hanzō]] retains the poison gland of the [[black salamander]], but [[Madara Uchiha]] does not have access to [[Hashirama Senju]]'s genetic material and thus Kabuto must artificially reproduce it for him.

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Clothing is reproduced according to what they wore when they died, although it is merely a superficial aspect of their reincarnated body; armour offers no actual protection, being of the same ashen material as the rest of their body. Reincarnated members of [[Akatsuki]] are, however, outfitted with different cloaks than they used to wear. Weaponry is usually not retained and must instead be gathered by the summoner; the reincarnated [[Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist]] only have access to those swords Kabuto is able to acquire.<ref>Chapter 523, page 6</ref> One exception seems to be the [[Gold and Silver Brothers]]' [[Treasured Tools of the Sage of the Six Paths]], which are still seemingly stored within the brothers' bodies.<ref>Chapter 527, pages 1-3</ref>

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Despite being largely the same as they were while alive, the reincarnated can never be as powerful, even with the perfected Impure World Reincarnation; Madara's reincarnated body is successfully bound by the [[Sage Art: Gate of the Great God]], which he easily breaks free of as soon as he is [[Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique|restored to life]].<ref>Chapter 656, page 17</ref> Likewise, there are some things a reincarnated body simply cannot do, such as access all the abilities of the [[Rinnegan]] or become the [[jinchūriki]] of the [[Ten-Tails]].<ref>Chapter 614, page 5</ref>

=== Enhancements ===

=== Enhancements ===

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Unlike while they were still alive, the reincarnated have unlimited chakra<ref name="chpt591"/> and stamina; able to can fight continuously as neither [[Kimimaro]],[[Itachi]]nor[[Hayate]] showed any fatigue from their illnesses as they did in life, and Itachi was even able to use multiple [[Mangekyō Sharingan]] techniques without showing exhaustion, while minor uses caused fatigue in life. The reincarnated are impossible to kill by normal means. Any damage they receive will easily regenerate, be it lost limbs or complete disintegration. Not even killing the summonergetridof them.<ref name="chapter521">''Naruto'' chapter 521, page 3</ref>

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[[File:GojōKibakuFuda1.png|thumb|Tobiramausing the MutuallyMultiplyingExplosiveTags.]]

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One of the major benefits of the Impure World Reincarnation is that it grants immortal bodies to those who are reincarnated. Any damage they receive will regenerate in time and, assuming the damage is not too debilitating, they can continue attacking even before their body recovers. This was one of the main purposes Tobirama created the technique for, as he would use one or more reincarnated souls to perform a series of [[Wikipedia:Kamizkaze|Kamikaze]]-like attacks until the opposition was wiped out;<ref>Chapter 561, page 2</ref> he created the [[Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags]] specifically for this purpose. Reincarnated bodies do not bleed, except in those cases where blood is needed to perform the [[Summoning Technique]].<ref>Chapter 548, page 17</ref>

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A second benefit is the limitless chakra reserve that the reincarnated individuals have access to; they can fight eternally and perform ordinarily physically demanding or chakra-intensive jutsu without issue.<ref name="chpt591"/> (However, the [[Hokage]] reincarnated by Orochimaru report at different times that they have run out of chakra.)<ref>Chapter 646, page 13</ref><ref>Chapter 661, page 11</ref> They are still subject to certain inherent demands of the jutsu itself, such as the [[Second Tsuchikage]]'s chakra supply being cut in half after using the [[Fission Technique]]<ref>Chapter 553, pages 4-5</ref> or only being able to create a certain number of [[clone]]s.<ref>Chapter 637, pages 4-5</ref> Other side-effects may still manifest, as when [[Itachi Uchiha]]'s eyes bleed from using his [[Mangekyō Sharingan]], but he is not inhibited by it.

The reincarnated body can be further enhanced. Madara Uchiha's bodyisrestoredto its physical prime rather than the witheredstateithad when he died, he receives a graft of Hashirama Senju's so he can use [[Wood Release]], and he has access to [[dōjutsu]] he gave up during his life.<ref>Chapter 560, page 3</ref> The reincarnated jinchūriki similarly have their respective [[tailed beasts]] sealed back into them.<ref>Chapter 565, page 1</ref>

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Tobirama Senju, the creator of the technique, also developed a [[fighting style]] around this technique which was generally to be used by the reincarnated shinobi. As mentioned by Madara, the technique was originally created to employ a [[Wikipedia:Kamizkaze|Kamikaze]]-like assault on enemy forces, using [[C0|suicide techniques]] and [[Tengai Shinsei|large-scale ninjutsu]] without fear as the reincarnated shinobi will completely regenerate afterwards.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 518, pages 9, 10, 14</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 561, pages 1-2</ref> One technique developed exclusively to take advantage of this, that was shown so far is the [[Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags]], a technique which takes advantage of not only the immortal body to withstand the near-infinite chain of explosions but uses the reincarnated shinobi's body as a medium to produce the exploding tags.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 639</ref>

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Thereincarnatedcanalso have their bodies modified and experimented on. While the technique usually reincarnates one as they were upon death, the reincarnated can also have various points from their life combined to get the best possible results as seen with [[MadaraUchiha]], having been brought back "''beyond his prime''" despite dying a withered old man. In addition to regaining his physical youth with peak health and combat prowess, he also retained the Wood Release and Rinnegan, powers he never had in his youth.<ref>''Naruto''chapter 560, page 3</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 602</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 606, page 12</ref> In the anime Kabuto also experimented on [[Fukai]] who had [[Gyuki]]'s chakra added to his reincarnated body through cells cultivated from the horn that was broken in the tailed beast's last rampage.<ref>''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 318</ref> Tobi also modified the eyes of the reincarnated [[jinchūriki]] to match his own, though this was only due to the use of the [[Six Paths of Pain]] technique which caused his eyes to be reflected in theirs,<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 544, pages 14-15</ref> as well as resealing the [[tailed beasts]] back into their respective hosts.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 565, page 1</ref> It also appears that despite gaining many enhancements, the reincarnated shinobi cannot gain full power to the new abilities, unless they are brought back to the world of the living; i.e. [[Madara Uchiha]]. Similarly, while the reincarnated shinobi can access any abilities from any points of their life if modified for such, should the target be brought back to life, any lost anatomy from life will return as such; i.e. Madara losing his eyes once revived as he transplanted them to Nagato while in life.

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Reincarnatedindividualsareimmune to the [[InfiniteTsukuyomi]].<ref>Chapter677</ref>

== Countering ==

== Countering ==

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Whilethereincarnatedareimmune to traditional attacks such as weapon-based attacks and even the death of the summoner being ineffective,<ref name="chapter521"/> there are four discovered methods to end the technique:

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[[File:Itachi'ssoul.png|thumb|ItachiUchiha'ssoulascending.]]

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#Sealawaythesoulof the reincarnatedindividual.

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Killingthesummonerdoesnotrelease the ImpureWorld Reincarnation, and in fact that can be considered inadvisable.<ref>Chapter 577, page 17</ref> There are only three guaranteed ways to end the technique:<ref name="chapter 521"/>

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# Have the summonerend the technique.Astheyareunlikelytodothisvoluntarily,using a [[genjutsu]] to trick them into cancelling the technique is ideal. The sequence of hand seals for cancelling the technique is ''Rat → Ox → Monkey → Tiger → Dragon → Boar'' and saying {{translation|"release"|解|kai}} (when demonstrating the technique to Tobi, Kabuto lied that the seals to release it are ''Dog → Horse → Tiger'').<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 589, pages 8-12</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 521, page 3</ref> If the summoner dies before the technique is deactivated, however, then this method is no longer a viable option.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 577, page 17</ref> This also does not work if the summoned managed to sever the contract's link before the summoner undo the technique.

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# Remove the soulfrom the reincarnatedbody,suchaswiththe[[DeadDemonConsumingSeal]].

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# Thereincarnatedindividualisaffectedinsomeemotionalwaythatgives them closure;<ref>''Naruto'' chapter518, page17</ref> [[Kankurō]] notes that humanemotionsarenotsoeasilyrestrained.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter519,page4</ref>However,thismethodcannotwork if the summonereradicatesthepersonality of the reincarnatedindividualbeforetheirsoulisfreedofitsbonds.<ref name="chapter522"/>

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# Havethesummonerendthetechnique.Astheyareunlikely to do this voluntarily, using a [[genjutsu]] totrick them into cancelling the technique is ideal. The sequence of [[hand seals]] for cancelling the technique is ''Rat → Ox → Monkey → Tiger → Dragon → Boar'' andsaying {{translation|"release"|解|kai}}.<ref>Chapter 589, pages8-12</ref> (When demonstrating the technique to [[Tobi]], Kabutolied that thesealstoreleaseitare ''Dog→Horse→Tiger''.)<ref name="chapter521"/>The[[Sageof the SixPaths]]hasdemonstrated the abilitytoreleasetheImpureWorldReincarnationdespitenotbeing the summoner.<ref>Chapter691,page 13</ref>

When a soul is released from the Impure World Reincarnation, their body disintegrates back into dust and the sacrifice's corpse will be left lying in the debris. The soul may linger briefly - with their personality restored if it was being suppressed - to leave parting words or take final actions. Souls released by their summoner will be enveloped in light throughout the process.<ref>Chapter 589, pages 12-17</ref>

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Once any of the first four methods are accomplished, the reincarnated individual will briefly regain their personalities before crumbling back into dust, leaving the bodies of the sacrificed individuals lying among the ashes. If the technique is cancelled by the user, the reincarnated's bodies are surrounded by a light before beginning to deconstruct.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 589, pages 12-17</ref> After this, the reincarnated individual's soul will begin to ascend, leaving behind the corpse of their vessel.

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Asidefrom the fourmethodsofactuallydefeating the techniqueoutright, therearefivediscoveredmethods of countering the effectiveness of thistechnique:

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Evenif the ImpureWorldReincarnationcannotbe broken conventionally, reincarnated bodies can still be neutralised. During the [[FourthShinobi World War]], the[[AlliedShinobiForces]]develop the method of binding the reincarnations' bodies so that they can't move and then placing a [[seal]] on the bindings so that they no longer pose a threat. [[Yin–Yang Release]], as manifested in [[Truth-Seeking Ball]]s, can negate the regenerative properties of reincarnated bodies, reducing their effectiveness and, if used to strike a vital spot, kill them for all intents and purposes.<ref name="c642">Chapter 642, pages4-5</ref>

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# The technique can be partially combated by immobilising the bodies in a way that it cannot move, act, or be recalled by the summoner. Although this does not truly defeat the summoning, it is effective at neutralising the immediate threat the reincarnated pose in battle.

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# If the reincarnated still retain their personalities, they can speak against the user or themselves by providing hints and advice to the opponents, even in the midst of involuntarily fighting them.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 532, page 15</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 548, pages 16-18</ref> With considerable strength of will, the summoner's authority can even be completely overridden, albeit briefly,<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 532, pages 10-11</ref> although in [[Hashirama Senju|one case]] the reincarnated was completely able to resist the restraining properties of this technique with relative ease and in [[Tobirama|another case]] the reincarnated was able to resist the restraining properties before it was strengthed.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 620, page 9-11</ref>

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# [[Itachi Uchiha]] was able to use [[Kotoamatsukami]] to layer another order on top of the one established by this technique overriding the user's control.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 550, page 8</ref> This can be remedied if the user can place a stronger binding talisman into the said reincarnated person, thus re-establishing control.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 582, page 3</ref>

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# What Madara describes as "the one risk of the technique", if the reincarnated knows the specific seal, one can release the Impure World Reincarnation's summoning contract, severing the bond between themselves and the summoner. This leaves the individual effectively immortal with an unlimited amount of chakra, and the summoner has no control over the individual's mind and movements any longer, nor can the technique be deactivated on the said individual.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 591, page 17</ref> The seals for severing the contract as depicted in the anime are Snake → Ram → Boar → Dog → Tiger.<ref>''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 340</ref> Using this method, if the individual was given free reign, temporarily removes the cracks on their bodies, restoring them to the appearance they had in life, but for unexplained reasons the cracks reappear later on.

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# If the reincarnated is struck with [[Ten-Tails Malleable Chakra|a Yin-Yang Technique that renders the target into nothingness]], then the struck body part will not regenerate, as the very technique itself is destroyed. If struck at a vital point, then the reincarnated person will effectively die, thus defeating the technique outright.<ref name="c642"/>

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It should be noted that the reincarnated are still vulnerable to any technique that could affect them while they were alive, but they are able to reform as soon as they receive any damage. Furthermore, while the reincarnated can't be destroyed and feel no pain which originates from bodily harm or mutilation,<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 527, page 14</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 532, pages 10-11</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 552, page 16</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 553, pages 4-5</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 561, pages 2, 7</ref> they are still vulnerable to the drawbacks from their own techniques or weaknesses. Such examples include [[Hanzō]]'s [[poison]] acting as a paralysis agent, [[Mū]] along with the [[Second Mizukage]] being left weakened after using [[Fission Technique|certain]] [[Steaming Danger Tyranny|techniques]], and [[Itachi]]'s eye bleeding on the activation of his [[Mangekyō Sharingan]]. The First to Fourth Hokage were also limited by how many clones they could make while maintaining the [[Four Red Yang Formation]].<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 637, pages 4-5</ref> In some instances, small, self-inflicted harms will produce blood so that the summoned can use [[Summoning Technique|summoning techniques]],<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 548, page 17</ref> for an example, although greater harms won't make the summoner bleed.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 532, pages 10-11</ref>

Therearealsowaysfora reincarnated body toescapetheirsummoner'sinfluence.[[ItachiUchiha]]istargetedwith[[Kotoamatsukami]],displacing Kabuto's commandswithdifferentorders.<ref>Chapter550,page8</ref>Kabuto canregaincontrol of Itachibygainingaccessto the controltalisman,<ref>Chapter582,page3</ref>andinfactisstillabletoreleasehimfromtheImpureWorldReincarnation.Conversely,ifthereincarnatedsoulknowsthehandseals, theycan sever the summoner'scontractwiththem;in the anime, the seals are ''Snake → Ram → Boar → Dog → Tiger''.<ref>''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode340</ref> This grants them full control of their own actions, all the benefitsofanimmortal body, and prevents the summonerfromreleasingthemfromtheImpureWorld Reincarnation. [[Madara Uchiha]] describes this as"the one risk of the technique".<ref name="chpt591">Chapter591, page 17</ref>

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;Notes

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{|class="wikitablesortable" border="1"

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*Duringthe [[Konoha Crush]], Orochimaru attempted to reincarnate Minato Namikaze, unaware that his soul did not reside in the [[Pure Land]]. For that reason the summon failed.<ref name="Fivetwenty"/>The failed coffin is not seen in the manga, but in the anime it briefly appears with {{translation|"four"|四|Yon}} written on it.<refname="e69"/> However, because of the mechanics of this technique, it's illogical that Orochimaru tried to summon the Fourth. He should've noticed that that's impossible when he had to do the first summoning (the one with the ritual).

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|+ '''ReincarnatedbyKabutoYakushi'''

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*Inthe anime, Orochimaru'sreincarnationofOsoi was an accident, as he intended to reincarnate [[Toroi]].

In the anime,itwasshownthatKabutohasreincarnateda great dealmoreshinobithanshownin the manga.Whilemost of thesehaveyettobeseenonthebattlefield, the ones that havebeenusedareasfollow:

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** [[Jiraiya]], though his body lies at the bottomoftheoceanwhere thewaterpressureistoo great toreach.However,heclaimedthat the bloodstainsonthe [[Six Paths of Pain]]'s[[ChakraDisruptionBlades|weapons]]mayprovideenoughDNA.[[Tobi]] denies him this request on the basis that doingsowouldbe"pushing[his] luck".

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* In the [[ChikaraArc]], duringtheinvasion of the [[TonikaVillage]] andthesubsequentskirmishwithofficersfromthe[[HachōVillage]]and[[TeamKakashi]], Kabutosummonedseveralshinobi:

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** [[ShisuiUchiha]], butKabutocould not find his body. He suggested that one of Shisui's eyes that was crushed by [[DanzōShimura]],whosecorpsewasinTobi'spossession,wouldbesufficient.AswithJiraiya'scase, Tobi threatened him not topushhisluck.

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**AburlyKumogakureshinobiwieldinga [[wikipedia:bō|bō]].

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*Intheanime,Kabuto'sreincarnationofChūkaku and Heiji are accidents, as he intended to reincarnate [[Chiriku]] and Hanzō, respectively.

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** ASunagakureshinobiwieldingapairof [[Wikipedia:Chakram|chakram]].

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**Kabutodeploystheseandothermistakenreincarnationsto try and release more important reincarnations from their bindings. As most are no stronger than [[genin]], they all fail.<ref name="ship316">''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 316</ref>

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** An Iwagakure shinobi wearing a flame-thrower device.

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** A Kirigakure shinobi wielding a [[sword]].

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** A Takigakure shinobi with an eye-patch covering his left eye.

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* When Kabuto summoned the reincarnated shinobi for war, there were several additional ones who do not appear in the manga.<ref>''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 256</ref>

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* Kabuto would later reincarnate an unknown Kumo-nin who wore a bird-motif mask which covered the upper-half of his face and a Suna-nin who wore his [[flak jacket]] open and wielded a broad axe. They were assigned to a team with [[Hayate Gekkō]] to retrieve the KIA list — a scroll which had been used to [[Generic Sealing Technique|seal]] away the bodies of shinobi with [[kekkei genkai]] and other special abilities.<ref>''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 307</ref>

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* Kabuto also summoned a large group of "lesser" ninja who had been reincarnated by mistake, deploying them after losing many of his key reincarnations, with the intent of recovering said key fighters. [[Torune]] is deployed among this group. A [[White Zetsu Army|White Zetsu clone]] noted however they are the "failures" and a majority were no more powerful than simple [[genin]]. Instead of stones, these failures were represented by a pile of sand on his playing board.<ref name="ship316">''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 316</ref>

*Kabuto is seen using a grid to keep track of all the reincarnated individuals he controls, with a pebble representing each shinobi.<ref name="chapter 521"/> It is not clear if there is some actual connection between the grid and those he reincarnates or if it's a mere convenience for him. In the anime, the pebbles crumble when the reincarnation is sealed. All of the pebbles are light-coloured except for [[Madara Uchiha]]'s, whose is black.<ref>Chapter 575, page 14</ref> In the anime, the failed reincarnations are represented by piles of sand.<ref name="ship316"/>

* {{translation|"Edo"|穢土|lit meaning=Dirty Soil}} is what Japanese Buddhists call the normal world, unenlightened people live in. The current, living world. The world of the people who have not yet have escaped the polluting thoughts (greed, hatred, delusion, etc.) that result in suffering.

* {{translation|"Edo"|穢土|lit meaning=Dirty Soil}} is what Japanese Buddhists call the normal world, unenlightened people live in. The current, living world. The world of the people who have not yet have escaped the polluting thoughts (greed, hatred, delusion, etc.) that result in suffering.

* A possible translation of ''Tensei'' is "Resurrection". In terms of this technique, both "Reincarnation" and "Resurrection" can be found; the sacrificed body is ''reincarnated'' into the body of the summoned shinobi, while the reincarnated shinobi is ''resurrected'' from the dead.

* A possible translation of ''Tensei'' is "Resurrection". In terms of this technique, both "Reincarnation" and "Resurrection" can be found; the sacrificed body is ''reincarnated'' into the body of the summoned shinobi, while the reincarnated shinobi is ''resurrected'' from the dead.

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* In [[TheMissionGiven…!!|chapter117]] of the manga, when Orochimaru first performs the technique, he tries to summon a third coffin. When the coffin is not summoned, he comments on its failure. Years later, in [[The Secret of the Impure World Reincarnation|chapter 520]], Kabuto explains that Orochimaru's attempt to summon the [[Fourth Hokage]] had failed due to his soul not residing in the "Pure World", which Orochimaru was not aware of. In [[Villagein Distress: A New A-Ranked Mission!|episode 69]] of the anime, when Orochimaru used this technique, the coffin briefly appears, with {{translation|"four"|四|Yon}} written on it.

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* In ''[[Naruto:UltimateNinja2]]'', Orochimaru reincarnates the [[Third Hokage]] despite his soul not being in the [[PureLand]].

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* Thevideogame,''Naruto:UltimateNinja2'',the(non-canon) storyline contradicts the idea the soul of the reincarnated must reside in thePure World, as Orochimaru reincarnates the Third Hokage no differently than anyone else he summons inthegame.

** [[Shisui Uchiha]], but Kabuto could not find his body, though he suggested that Shisui's crushed eye, which is in Tobi's possession, may be sufficient.<ref name="wish" /> Later, after learning that Shisui's other eye was on the battlefield, he seemed excited at the prospect of obtaining it.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 550, page 13</ref> However, Itachi [[Amaterasu|incinerated]] it.<ref>''Naruto'' chapter 552, page 11</ref>

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** [[Chiriku]] in the anime, but it is unknown if he actually managed to reincarnate him after his first failure.<ref name="ship316"/>

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* Originally in the anime version, a reincarnated target's eyes appeared normal (albeit glazed over).<ref>''Naruto'' episode 69</ref> Later in Part II of the anime, the mistake was corrected, returning a reincarnated target's sclera dark grey like it is in the manga.

* In the anime, when eradicating the personality of Hanzō, Kabuto used several hand seals instead of just one.<ref>''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 272</ref>

* In the anime, when eradicating the personality of Hanzō, Kabuto used several hand seals instead of just one.<ref>''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 272</ref>

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* In the anime, when reincarnating multiple shinobi, it is shown that Kabuto seems to favour using sacrificial victims from Konohagakure.<ref>''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 316</ref>

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* When a reincarnated target breaks free of the contract, as seen in Madara Uchiha's case, any cracks about the individual's being will temporarily disappear.<ref>''Naruto: Shippūden'' episode 340</ref><ref>''Naruto'' chapter 591, page 17</ref>

The Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation binds the soul of a deceased person to a living vessel, restoring them as they were when they were alive in order to do their summoner's bidding. It was originally created by Tobirama Senju, after which he declared it a kinjutsu. Orochimaru rediscovers the technique decades later, and Kabuto Yakushi subsequently perfects it.

Contents

Before this technique can be performed, the user must first acquire some of the DNA of the person they intend to reincarnate. Kabuto remarks that this basically amounts to grave-robbing, although blood stains or organs salvaged after the target's death also work.[2] The soul of the intended reincarnated must also reside in the Pure Land; souls trapped in the stomach of the Shinigami, for example, cannot be reincarnated so long as they reside there.[3] A living sacrifice is also required for the reincarnated soul to use as a vessel.[2]

Torune being reincarnated with Fū as the sacrifice.

To actually perform the Impure World Reincarnation, the DNA of the person to be reincarnated is smeared on a special scroll. Once the scroll is activated, the remains spread out in the form of a special seal with the living sacrifice in the centre. Then dust and ash encase the sacrifice's body, giving them the same appearance that the reincarnated had at the time of their death; the process is apparently painful for the sacrifice.[2] The sacrifice's chakra signature is completely overridden with the chakra of the one being reincarnated. Although the sacrifice is still technically alive so long as the technique is active, their body will never again be theirs and the body will die when the reincarnated soul is released.

Although Tobirama was the technique's creator, his usage had two flaws: the reincarnated souls were not as powerful as they were while alive and he could only control so many at a time.[4] Orochimaru is stated to have mitigated both flaws somewhat, but it is Kabuto who entirely eliminates them, perfecting the Impure World Reincarnation to such a degree that the reincarnations are practically as they were during life and he can control as many at a time as he wishes to, resources permitting.[2] His improvements, combined with the fact that performing the Impure World Reincarnation requires no chakra from the user, causes Kabuto to declare it the most powerful jutsu in history.[4]

Reincarnations can be mobilised like standard infantry, where they must travel to their destination. Alternatively, coffins that contain them can be summoned to a location, assuming someone is there to perform the summoning; the anime does not consistently require this.[5] Reincarnations can be recalled in a similar way, with a coffin emerging around them to take them back.

The only discretion a user needs to exercise for the Impure World Reincarnation is how much control to exert over the reincarnated soul. After first performing it the user is only able to restrict their movements. In general, this limited control is not an issue for the summoner, and they will typically "deactivate" the reincarnation, placing them in a coffin for storage and transportation until they're needed. However, when the perfected Impure World Reincarnation is used to revive somebody, there comes a possibility that they will be strong enough to resist this control; Orochimaru notes Hashirama Senju could break free if he chose to.[6]

In order to actually be able to control their actions, the user must implant a special talisman - generally attached to the end of a kunai - within the reincarnation's brain. The talisman's design determines how strong the control is:

At its most basic, the reincarnated soul retains their personality, giving them the freedom to approach a given task however they like so long as it broadly carries out the summoner's bidding. On the one hand, this makes them more useful in combat because they know how best to use their own abilities[7] and, if deployed against somebody they knew when they were alive, there is a possibility for psychological warfare.[8] On the other hand, although they are compelled to do as their summoner wishes and act without reluctance,[9] they can undermine their summoner to a degree, either by making poor decisions that opponents can take advantage of or by giving opponents advice about how to defeat them.[10] Despite its risks, Kabuto prefers this level of control.

At its strongest level, the reincarnated soul's personality is entirely eliminated. The summoner instead controls all of their actions, even permitting them to speak through the reincarnation[11] or summon other reincarnated souls to their location. Although this guarantees the reincarnated soul will only ever act as desired, they are less resourceful and it requires the summoner's attention for every action that must be taken, making it difficult for them to multi-task depending on the circumstances. Orochimaru prefers this level of control. Kabuto has at times rewritten talismans remotely in order switch to this level of control when the situation calls for it.[12]

Kabuto and Orochimaru are able to strengthen the bindings they use through external means: Kabuto siphons chakra from the cursed sealAnko Mitarashi is branded with;[12] Orochimaru uses Senjucells.[13] Relatedly, any level of control creates a traceable chakra signature between the reincarnated soul and their summoner, allowing reincarnated sensors to trace the summoner's location.[14]

When first summoned, the body will appear grey and in a state of minor decay: marred by cracks and other imperfections. If the summoner chooses to, they can rejuvenate the reincarnation while planting their control talisman, restoring their complexion and reducing some of the imperfections; this is merely aesthetic and the signs of decay do not inhibit their abilities. An unavoidable characteristic of a reincarnated body is the darkened sclerae, with a soul that retains its personality having grey sclerae and a soul with a suppressed personality having black sclerae.[4]

A reincarnated individual will have all the abilities they had during their life, including kekkei genkai and kekkei tōta. They are psychically restored as they were at the time of their death, including any physical handicaps they may have possessed, such as Nagato's damaged legs. Exceptions exist: illnesses they had will not be preserved, nor will any physical damage that contributed to their death. There is some inconsistency of whether or not foreign body matter will be restored as well: Hanzō retains the poison gland of the black salamander, but Madara Uchiha does not have access to Hashirama Senju's genetic material and thus Kabuto must artificially reproduce it for him.

Clothing is reproduced according to what they wore when they died, although it is merely a superficial aspect of their reincarnated body; armour offers no actual protection, being of the same ashen material as the rest of their body. Reincarnated members of Akatsuki are, however, outfitted with different cloaks than they used to wear. Weaponry is usually not retained and must instead be gathered by the summoner; the reincarnated Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist only have access to those swords Kabuto is able to acquire.[15] One exception seems to be the Gold and Silver Brothers' Treasured Tools of the Sage of the Six Paths, which are still seemingly stored within the brothers' bodies.[16]

Despite being largely the same as they were while alive, the reincarnated can never be as powerful, even with the perfected Impure World Reincarnation; Madara's reincarnated body is successfully bound by the Sage Art: Gate of the Great God, which he easily breaks free of as soon as he is restored to life.[17] Likewise, there are some things a reincarnated body simply cannot do, such as access all the abilities of the Rinnegan or become the jinchūriki of the Ten-Tails.[18]

One of the major benefits of the Impure World Reincarnation is that it grants immortal bodies to those who are reincarnated. Any damage they receive will regenerate in time and, assuming the damage is not too debilitating, they can continue attacking even before their body recovers. This was one of the main purposes Tobirama created the technique for, as he would use one or more reincarnated souls to perform a series of Kamikaze-like attacks until the opposition was wiped out;[19] he created the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags specifically for this purpose. Reincarnated bodies do not bleed, except in those cases where blood is needed to perform the Summoning Technique.[20]

A second benefit is the limitless chakra reserve that the reincarnated individuals have access to; they can fight eternally and perform ordinarily physically demanding or chakra-intensive jutsu without issue.[21] (However, the Hokage reincarnated by Orochimaru report at different times that they have run out of chakra.)[22][23] They are still subject to certain inherent demands of the jutsu itself, such as the Second Tsuchikage's chakra supply being cut in half after using the Fission Technique[24] or only being able to create a certain number of clones.[25] Other side-effects may still manifest, as when Itachi Uchiha's eyes bleed from using his Mangekyō Sharingan, but he is not inhibited by it.

The reincarnated body can be further enhanced. Madara Uchiha's body is restored to its physical prime rather than the withered state it had when he died, he receives a graft of Hashirama Senju's so he can use Wood Release, and he has access to dōjutsu he gave up during his life.[26] The reincarnated jinchūriki similarly have their respective tailed beasts sealed back into them.[27]

Have the summoner end the technique. As they are unlikely to do this voluntarily, using a genjutsu to trick them into cancelling the technique is ideal. The sequence of hand seals for cancelling the technique is Rat → Ox → Monkey → Tiger → Dragon → Boar and saying "release" (解, kai).[30] (When demonstrating the technique to Tobi, Kabuto lied that the seals to release it are Dog → Horse → Tiger.)[4] The Sage of the Six Paths has demonstrated the ability to release the Impure World Reincarnation despite not being the summoner.[31]

A less reliable, though equally effective method is to have the reincarnated soul be affected in some emotional way that gives them closure, allowing their soul to break free of the Impure World Reincarnation's influence.[32]

When a soul is released from the Impure World Reincarnation, their body disintegrates back into dust and the sacrifice's corpse will be left lying in the debris. The soul may linger briefly - with their personality restored if it was being suppressed - to leave parting words or take final actions. Souls released by their summoner will be enveloped in light throughout the process.[33]

Even if the Impure World Reincarnation cannot be broken conventionally, reincarnated bodies can still be neutralised. During the Fourth Shinobi World War, the Allied Shinobi Forces develop the method of binding the reincarnations' bodies so that they can't move and then placing a seal on the bindings so that they no longer pose a threat. Yin–Yang Release, as manifested in Truth-Seeking Balls, can negate the regenerative properties of reincarnated bodies, reducing their effectiveness and, if used to strike a vital spot, kill them for all intents and purposes.[34]

There are also ways for a reincarnated body to escape their summoner's influence. Itachi Uchiha is targeted with Kotoamatsukami, displacing Kabuto's commands with different orders.[35] Kabuto can regain control of Itachi by gaining access to the control talisman,[36] and in fact is still able to release him from the Impure World Reincarnation. Conversely, if the reincarnated soul knows the hand seals, they can sever the summoner's contract with them; in the anime, the seals are Snake → Ram → Boar → Dog → Tiger.[37] This grants them full control of their own actions, all the benefits of an immortal body, and prevents the summoner from releasing them from the Impure World Reincarnation. Madara Uchiha describes this as "the one risk of the technique".[21]

During the Konoha Crush, Orochimaru attempted to reincarnate Minato Namikaze, unaware that his soul did not reside in the Pure Land. For that reason the summon failed.[2] The failed coffin is not seen in the manga, but in the anime it briefly appears with "four" (四, Yon) written on it.[38] However, because of the mechanics of this technique, it's illogical that Orochimaru tried to summon the Fourth. He should've noticed that that's impossible when he had to do the first summoning (the one with the ritual).

In the anime, Orochimaru's reincarnation of Osoi was an accident, as he intended to reincarnate Toroi.

Jiraiya, though his body lies at the bottom of the ocean where the water pressure is too great to reach. However, he claimed that the bloodstains on the Six Paths of Pain's weapons may provide enough DNA. Tobi denies him this request on the basis that doing so would be "pushing [his] luck".

Shisui Uchiha, but Kabuto could not find his body. He suggested that one of Shisui's eyes that was crushed by Danzō Shimura, whose corpse was in Tobi's possession, would be sufficient. As with Jiraiya's case, Tobi threatened him not to push his luck.

In the anime, Kabuto's reincarnation of Chūkaku and Heiji are accidents, as he intended to reincarnate Chiriku and Hanzō, respectively.

Kabuto deploys these and other mistaken reincarnations to try and release more important reincarnations from their bindings. As most are no stronger than genin, they all fail.[39]

Kabuto is seen using a grid to keep track of all the reincarnated individuals he controls, with a pebble representing each shinobi.[4] It is not clear if there is some actual connection between the grid and those he reincarnates or if it's a mere convenience for him. In the anime, the pebbles crumble when the reincarnation is sealed. All of the pebbles are light-coloured except for Madara Uchiha's, whose is black.[40] In the anime, the failed reincarnations are represented by piles of sand.[39]

"Edo" (穢土, Literally meaning: Dirty Soil) is what Japanese Buddhists call the normal world, unenlightened people live in. The current, living world. The world of the people who have not yet have escaped the polluting thoughts (greed, hatred, delusion, etc.) that result in suffering.

A possible translation of Tensei is "Resurrection". In terms of this technique, both "Reincarnation" and "Resurrection" can be found; the sacrificed body is reincarnated into the body of the summoned shinobi, while the reincarnated shinobi is resurrected from the dead.